As much as everyone was happy for Ryan Newman on his NASCAR Sprint Cup victory at Indy, they were just as upset about the injury Tony Stewart suffered in a sprint car race in Iowa. However, a driver like Martin Truex Jr. also realizes in a sport as tough as NASCAR Sprint Cup you need to take advantage of any situation that comes your way, good or bad.

Two weeks ago following Ryan Newman's win, Truex's spot in the Chase became a little more tenuous. Suddenly there was another driver with a win inside the top twenty in points looking to take one of the wildcard spots he held.

The Pocono race only added to the anxiety as Newman ran up front all day, while Truex struggled to find the handle on his NAPA Toyota for most of the day. Although he did manage to lead the race, that was more a result of the timing of pit stops rather than the performance of the car. When the race was completed Newman had secured a fourth place finish while Truex came home fifteenth.

While Truex managed to hold on to the second wildcard spot in the standings, Newman was able to close the gap. Going to Watkins Glen, Newman only trails Truex by nine points.

Then the unthinkable happened. Tony Stewart broke his leg in two places in a sprint car race in Iowa on Monday. He has already had one surgery, and will need another. Max Papis will be behind the wheel of the Stewart-Haas Chevrolet at Watkins Glen this weekend. Nothing further has been announced, but it looks as though Stewart's season may be over.

At the very least his chances at making the Chase are over. When the field takes the green at Watkins Glen that will elevate Truex into the top wildcard spot, but he can't get comfortable there. Two drivers are currently ahead of him in the points, they just don't have the win they need to be eligible for the wildcard spots.

Both Brad Keselowski, the defending Sprint Cup Champion, and Kurt Busch are higher in the points. Keselowski is actually 12th in the points, while Kurt is 13th. Truex sits in 14th. Even more concerning for the New Jersey native is that both Keselowski and Busch should be counted among the favorites to win at Watkins Glen.

Truex, also comes to Watkins Glen with some confidence. He is, after all, the winner of the only other road course on the schedule, Sonoma, earlier this season. Even better for him, he likes Watkins Glen better than the California road course.

“I just love the speed it generates. It’s a place that has always been special to me. I went there when I was younger running Busch North and stuff back in the day. It was the first road course that I ran a stock car on. I’ve got a lot of experience there and I can remember going there just to watch my Dad. It’s like New Hampshire and Dover to me -- it’s one of those tracks that I was going to before I ever raced. It’s definitely a cool place for me to go. It’s a place that I definitely want to win. I’ve had some good runs there and hopefully this is the year we can get it done.”

While the Stewart injury has given Truex some breathing room, he still needs to check his mirrors. What he would like to see is the 2, 78, and 39, behind him not only at Watkins Glen, but for the rest of the non-Chase races.